The controversy surrounding the rendition of Vande Mataram at the Congress headquarters has escalated, with a fresh complaint being submitted to the Delhi Police against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

The complainants have sought registration of an FIR and an investigation to determine whether the conduct attributed to the two Congress leaders attracts any offence under applicable laws. They have also asked the police to examine the legal provisions concerning the national song before deciding on further action.

The complaint was filed by advocates Kunal Vinayak and Shubh Sharma, who have alleged that Sonia Gandhi's actions during the Independence Day programme at the AICC headquarters in Delhi indicated opposition to continuing the rendition.

Complaint seeks probe into Sonia, Rahul's alleged conduct

According to the complaint, Sonia Gandhi was seen making gestures and communicating with people around her while the singers were moving towards the portions of Vande Mataram that have previously been a subject of debate within the Congress.

The complainants have also referred to purported footage involving Rahul Gandhi, alleging that he made a remark indicating that Vande Mataram was not being sung.

The complaint argues that the meaning and intention behind the alleged actions cannot be conclusively determined without an investigation. It therefore asks the authorities to examine the available video footage and establish what happened during the programme.

Legal provisions cited in complaint

The complainants have referred to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour (Amendment) Bill, 2026, arguing that the proposed legislation seeks to extend protection applicable to the National Anthem to the National Song as well.

They have cited a proposed provision under which deliberately preventing the singing of the National Anthem or National Song, or disrupting an assembly engaged in singing it, could attract imprisonment of up to three years, a fine, or both.

The complaint also cites a 2018 Supreme Court judgment dealing with the existing statutory provision concerning intentional obstruction of the National Anthem or disruption of an assembly singing it.

The Delhi Police has confirmed receipt of the complaint and said the allegations are being examined.

BJP steps up attack on Congress

The complaint comes amid an intensifying political confrontation between the BJP and Congress over the Independence Day incident.

The BJP has accused the Congress leadership of disrespecting Vande Mataram and has demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi. The Congress has rejected the allegations, maintaining that there was no effort to prevent the complete rendition of the national song.

The dispute centres partly on the later portions of Vande Mataram, which some Congress leaders have previously argued contain religious imagery that may not be acceptable to people belonging to different faiths.

Complaints also filed in Odisha, Karnataka

The Delhi complaint is not the only legal challenge arising from the incident.

A separate complaint was submitted in Odisha by the BJP's youth wing. State BJP Yuva Morcha president Abhilash Panda alleged that the Congress leaders had committed an offence by obstructing or disrespecting the national song.

Another complaint was filed in Bengaluru, where BJP Yuva Morcha members also held a protest near the state BJP headquarters.

Karnataka Yuva Morcha president and MLA Dheeraj Muniraju demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, saying demonstrations would continue until the party leadership addressed the allegations.

The Delhi Police's ongoing examination will determine whether the allegations made in the complaint warrant registration of a case or any further legal action.